Dock for a multi-form factor information handling system (IHS)

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of a dock for a multi-form factor Information Handling System (IHS) are described. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, a dock may include: a base, a plateau configured to receive an IHS, and an arm coupling a distal edge of the base to a proximal edge of the plateau, where the arm rotates with respect to the base around a first axis to lift the plateau, where the plateau rotates with respect to the arm around a second axis to tilt the plateau, and where the second axis is parallel with respect to the first axis.

FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to Information Handling Systems(IHSs), and more specifically, to a dock for a multi-form factor IHS.

BACKGROUND

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to users is Information Handling Systems (IHSs). AnIHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicatesinformation or data for business, personal, or other purposes therebyallowing users to take advantage of the value of the information.Because technology and information handling needs and requirements varybetween different users or applications, IHSs may also vary regardingwhat information is handled, how the information is handled, how muchinformation is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly andefficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated.The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for aspecific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing,airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications.In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and softwarecomponents that may be configured to process, store, and communicateinformation and may include one or more computer systems, data storagesystems, and networking systems.

Nowadays, users can choose among many different types of mobile IHSdevices. Each type of device (e.g., tablets, 2-in-1s, mobileworkstations, notebooks, netbooks, ultra-books, etc.) has uniqueportability, performance, and usability features; however, each also hasits own trade-offs and limitations. For example, tablets have lesscompute power than notebooks and workstations, while notebooks andworkstations lack the portability of tablets. A conventional 2-in-1device combines the portability of a tablet with the performance of anotebook, but with a small display—an uncomfortable form factor in manyuse-cases.

The inventors hereof have determined that, as productivity continues tobe a core tenet of modern computing, mobile IHS devices should provideversatility for many use-cases and display postures in use today (e.g.,tablet mode, laptop mode, etc.), as well as future display postures(e.g., digital notebooks, new work surfaces, etc.). Additionally, mobileIHS devices should provide larger display area with reduced size andweight.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of systems and methods for a dock for a multi-form factorInformation Handling System (IHS) are described. In an illustrative,non-limiting embodiment, a dock may include: a base, a plateauconfigured to receive an IHS, and an arm coupling a distal edge of thebase to a proximal edge of the plateau, where the arm rotates withrespect to the base around a first axis to lift the plateau, where theplateau rotates with respect to the arm around a second axis to tilt theplateau, and where the second axis is parallel with respect to the firstaxis.

In some implementations, the plateau may include a magnetic device. Themagnetic device may be positioned in the plateau in a directionperpendicular to the proximal edge of the plateau. The plateau mayinclude a positioning nib. The dock may include first row of terminalsdisposed in parallel with respect to the proximal edge of the plateaualongside a given edge of the positioning nib. Additionally, oralternatively, a second row of terminals may be perpendicularly withrespect to the first row of terminals alongside another side of thepositioning nib. The IHS may also include a first display coupled to asecond display via a hinge.

The second display may include a second magnetic device positioned tomate with the magnetic device and a second positioning nib positioned tomate with the positioning nib in the plateau when the plateau receivesthe IHS in laptop mode. The first display may include a third magneticdevice positioned to mate with the magnetic device in the plateau whenthe plateau receives the IHS in dual-display mode in a portraitorientation. The base may also include a graphical processor configuredto the coupled to the IHS in response to the IHS being received by theplateau.

In some cases, the IHS may include: a processor; and a memory coupled tothe processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereonthat, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: identify adocking state of the IHS. The program instructions, upon execution bythe processor, may also cause the IHS to, based on the identification,produce a corresponding User Interface (UI) feature on the first orsecond displays. The docking state may be selected from the groupconsisting of: dual monitor mode, book mode, and laptop mode.

In another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, a method, comprisecoupling an IHS to a plateau of a dock, where a proximal edge of theplateau is coupled to a distal edge of a base via an arm, where the armrotates with respect to the base around a first axis to lift the IHS,and where the plateau rotates with respect to the arm around a secondaxis to tilt the IHS; collapsing the arm into the base to enter a bookmode; and extending the arm away from the base to enter a dual monitormode.

The plateau may include a magnetic device and a positioning nib. The IHSmay include a first display coupled to a second display via a hinge, andthe second display may include a second magnetic device positioned tomate with the magnetic device and a second positioning nib positioned tomate with the positioning nib when the IHS is in laptop mode. The firstdisplay may include a third magnetic device positioned to mate with themagnetic device when the IHS is in dual-display mode.

In yet another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, a hardware memorydevice may have program instructions stored thereon that, upon executionby a processor of an IHS, cause the IHS to: identify a state of the IHSrelative to a dock, wherein the dock further comprises: a base; aplateau configured to receive the IHS; and an arm coupling a distal edgeof the base to a proximal edge of the plateau, where the arm rotateswith respect to the base around a first axis to lift the plateau, wherethe plateau rotates with respect to the arm around a second axis to tiltthe plateau, and where the second axis is parallel with respect to thefirst axis; and based on the identification, enable a connector betweenthe plateau and the IHS.

The plateau may include a magnetic device and a positioning nib, wherethe IHS further comprises a first display coupled to a second displayvia a hinge, and where the second display comprises a second magneticdevice positioned to mate with the magnetic device and a secondpositioning nib positioned to mate with the positioning nib when the IHSis in laptop mode. The first display may include a third magnetic devicepositioned to mate with the magnetic device when the IHS is indual-display mode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention(s) is/are illustrated by way of example and is/arenot limited by the accompanying figures, in which like referencesindicate similar elements. Elements in the figures are illustrated forsimplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-form factor Information HandlingSystem (IHS) with a removable keyboard, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams of components of the multi-form factorIHS and removable keyboard, respectively, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a multi-form factor configuration engine,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for configuring multi-form factorIHSs, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 6A-C, 7A-J, 8A-D, and 9A-F illustrate examples of laptop, tablet,book, and display postures, respectively, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 10A-C and 11A-C illustrate various use-cases, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 12A-D, 13A, and 13B illustrate a first hinge implementation and asecond hinge implementation, respectively, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 14 illustrates an accessory charging system, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 15, 16A-C, 17A, and 17B illustrate a third hinge implementation, afourth hinge implementation, and a fifth hinge implementation,respectively, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a folio case system, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 19 illustrates an accessory backpack system, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are a flowchart of a method for providingcontext-aware User Interface (UI), according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 21A-C illustrate a dock in different positions, according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 22A and 22B illustrate examples of docking and undocking methods,according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 23A-C illustrate docking states of the multi-form factor IHS,according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To facilitate explanation of the various systems and methods discussedherein, the following description has been split into sections. Itshould be noted, however, that any sections, headings, and subheadingsused herein are for organizational purposes only, and are not meant tolimit or otherwise modify the scope of the description nor the claims.

Overview

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for a dock fora multi-form factor Information Handling System (IHS). In variousimplementations, a mobile IHS device may include a dual-display,foldable IHS. Each display may include, for example, a Liquid CrystalDisplay (LCD), Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED), or Active MatrixOLED (AMOLED) panel or film, equipped with a touchscreen configured toreceive touch inputs. The dual-display, foldable IHS may be configuredby a user in any of a number of display postures, including, but notlimited to: laptop, tablet, book, clipboard, stand, tent, and/ordisplay.

A user may operate the dual-display, foldable IHS in various modes usinga virtual, On-Screen Keyboard (OSK), or a removable, physical keyboard.In some use cases, a physical keyboard may be placed atop at least oneof the screens to enable use of the IHS as a laptop, with additionalUser Interface (UI) features (e.g., virtual keys, touch input areas,etc.) made available via the underlying display, around the keyboard. Inother use cases, the physical keyboard may be placed in front of the IHSto expose a larger display area. The user may also rotate thedual-display, foldable IHS, to further enable different modalities withthe use of the physical keyboard. In some cases, when not in use, thephysical keyboard may be placed or stored inside the dual-display,foldable IHS.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of multi-form factor IHS 100 with removablekeyboard 103. As shown, first display 101 is coupled to second display102 via hinge 104, and keyboard 103 sits atop second display 102. Thecurrent physical arrangement of first display 101 and second display 102creates a laptop posture, such that first display 101 becomes primarydisplay area 105 presented by IHS 100, where video or display frames maybe rendered for viewing by a user.

In operation, in this particular laptop posture, second display 102 maysit horizontally on a work surface with its display surface facing up,and keyboard 103 may be positioned on top of second display 102,occluding a part of its display surface. In response to this posture andkeyboard position, IHS 100 may dynamically produce a first UI feature inthe form of at least one configurable secondary display area 106 (a“ribbon area” or “touch bar”), and/or a second UI feature in the form ofat least one configurable touch input area 107 (a “virtual trackpad”),using the touchscreen of second display 102.

To identify a current posture of IHS 100 and a current physicalrelationship or spacial arrangement (e.g., distance, position, speed,etc.) between display(s) 101/102 and keyboard 103, IHS 100 may beconfigured to use one or more sensors disposed in first display 101,second display 102, keyboard 103, and/or hinge 104. Based upon readingsfrom these various sensors, IHS 100 may then select, configure, modify,and/or provide (e.g., content, size, position, etc.) one or more UIfeatures.

In various embodiments, displays 101 and 102 may be coupled to eachother via hinge 104 to thereby assume a plurality of different postures,including, but not limited, to: laptop, tablet, book, or display.

When display 102 is disposed horizontally in laptop posture, keyboard103 may be placed on top of display 102, thus resulting in a first setof UI features (e.g., ribbon area or touch bar 106, and/or touchpad107). Otherwise, with IHS 100 still in the laptop posture, keyboard 103may be placed next to display 102, resulting in a second set of UIfeatures.

As used herein, the term “ribbon area” or “touch bar” 106 refers to adynamic horizontal or vertical strip of selectable and/or scrollableitems, which may be dynamically selected for display and/or IHS controldepending upon a present context, use-case, or application. For example,when IHS 100 is executing a web browser, ribbon area or touch bar 106may show navigation controls and favorite websites. Then, when IHS 100operates a mail application, ribbon area or touch bar 106 may displaymail actions, such as replying or flagging. In some cases, at least aportion of ribbon area or touch bar 106 may be provided in the form of astationary control strip, providing access to system features such asbrightness and volume. Additionally, or alternatively, ribbon area ortouch bar 106 may enable multitouch, to support two or more simultaneousinputs.

In some cases, ribbon area 106 may change position, location, or size ifkeyboard 103 is moved alongside a lateral or short edge of seconddisplay 102 (e.g., from horizontally displayed alongside a long side ofkeyboard 103 to being vertically displayed alongside a short side ofkeyboard 103). Also, the entire display surface of display 102 may showrendered video frames if keyboard 103 is moved alongside the bottom orlong edge of display 102. Conversely, if keyboard 103 is removed ofturned off, yet another set of UI features, such as an OSK, may beprovided via display(s) 101/102. As such, in many embodiments, thedistance and/or relative position between keyboard 103 and display(s)101/102 may be used to control various aspects the UI.

During operation, the user may open, close, flip, swivel, or rotateeither of displays 101 and/or 102, via hinge 104, to produce differentpostures. In each posture, a different arrangement between IHS 100 andkeyboard 103 results in different UI features being presented or madeavailable to the user. For example, when second display 102 is foldedagainst display 101 so that the two displays have their backs againsteach other, IHS 100 may be said to have assumed a canvas posture (e.g.,FIGS. 7A-F), a tablet posture (e.g., FIG. 7G-J), a book posture (e.g.,FIG. 8D), a stand posture (e.g., FIGS. 9A and 9B), or a tent posture(e.g., FIGS. 9C and 9D), depending upon whether IHS 100 is stationary,moving, horizontal, resting at a different angle, and/or its orientation(landscape vs. portrait).

In many of these scenarios, placement of keyboard 103 upon or neardisplay(s) 101/102, and subsequent movement or removal, may result in adifferent set of UI features than when IHS 100 is in laptop posture.

In many implementations, different types of hinges 104 may be used toachieve and maintain different display postures, and to supportdifferent keyboard arrangements. Examples of suitable hinges 104include, but are not limited to: a 360-hinge (FIGS. 12A-D), a jaws hinge(FIGS. 13A and 13B), a watchband hinge (FIG. 15), a gear hinge (FIGS.16A-C), and a slide hinge (FIGS. 17A and 17B). One or more of thesehinges 104 may include wells or compartments (FIG. 14) for docking,cradling, charging, or storing accessories. Moreover, one or moreaspects of hinge 104 may be monitored via one or more sensors (e.g., todetermine whether an accessory is charging) when controlling thedifferent UI features.

In some cases, a folio case system (FIGS. 18A and 18B) may be used tofacilitate keyboard arrangements. Additionally, or alternatively, anaccessory backpack system (FIG. 19) may be used to hold keyboard 103and/or an extra battery or accessory.

For purposes of this disclosure, an IHS may include any instrumentalityor aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, calculate,determine, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate,switch, store, display, communicate, manifest, detect, record,reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, ordata for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example,an IHS may be a personal computer (e.g., desktop or laptop), tabletcomputer, mobile device (e.g., Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or smartphone), server (e.g., blade server or rack server), a network storagedevice, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape,performance, functionality, and price. An IHS may include Random AccessMemory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a CentralProcessing Unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, Read-OnlyMemory (ROM), and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additionalcomponents of an IHS may include one or more disk drives, one or morenetwork ports for communicating with external devices as well as variousI/O devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, touchscreen, and/or a videodisplay. An IHS may also include one or more buses operable to transmitcommunications between the various hardware components.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of components 200 of multi-form factor IHS100. As depicted, components 200 include processor 201. In variousembodiments, IHS 100 may be a single-processor system, or amulti-processor system including two or more processors. Processor 201may include any processor capable of executing program instructions,such as a PENTIUM series processor, or any general-purpose or embeddedprocessors implementing any of a variety of Instruction SetArchitectures (ISAs), such as an x86 ISA or a Reduced Instruction SetComputer (RISC) ISA (e.g., POWERPC, ARM, SPARC, MIPS, etc.).

IHS 100 includes chipset 202 coupled to processor 201. In certainembodiments, chipset 202 may utilize a QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) busto communicate with processor 201. In various embodiments, chipset 202may provide processor 201 with access to a number of resources.Moreover, chipset 202 may be coupled to communication interface(s) 205to enable communications via various wired and/or wireless networks,such as Ethernet, WiFi, BLUETOOTH, cellular or mobile networks (e.g.,CDMA, TDMA, LTE, etc.), satellite networks, or the like. For example,communication interface(s) 205 may be coupled to chipset 202 via a PCIebus.

Chipset 202 may be coupled to display controller(s) 204, which mayinclude one or more or graphics processor(s) (GPUs) on a graphics bus,such as an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or Peripheral ComponentInterconnect Express (PCIe) bus. As shown, display controller(s) 204provide video or display signals to first display device 101 and seconddisplay device 202. In other implementations, any number of displaycontroller(s) 204 and/or display devices 101/102 may be used.

Each of display devices 101 and 102 may include a flexible display thatis deformable (e.g., bent, folded, rolled, or stretched) by an externalforce applied thereto. For example, display devices 101 and 102 mayinclude LCD, OLED, or AMOLED, plasma, electrophoretic, or electrowettingpanel(s) or film(s). Each display device 101 and 102 may include aplurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, configured to display visualinformation, such as text, two-dimensional images, video,three-dimensional images, etc.

Display device(s) 101/102 may be configured to sense haptic and/orphysical touch events, and to generate touch information. To this end,display device(s) 101/102 may include a touchscreen matrix (e.g., alayered capacitive panel or the like) and/or touch controller configuredto receive and interpret multi-touch gestures from a user touching thescreen with a stylus or one or more fingers. In some cases, display andtouch control aspects of display device(s) 101/102 may be collectivelyoperated and controlled by display controller(s) 204.

In some cases, display device(s) 101/102 may also comprise a deformationor bending sensor configured to generate deformation or bendinginformation including, but not limited to: the bending position of adisplay (e.g., in the form of a “bending line” connecting two or morepositions at which bending is detected on the display), bendingdirection, bending angle, bending speed, etc. In these implementations,display device(s) 101/102 may be provided as a single continuousdisplay, rather than two discrete displays.

Chipset 202 may also provide processor 201 and/or display controller(s)204 with access to memory 203. In various embodiments, system memory 203may be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as staticRAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM) or magnetic disks, or anynonvolatile/Flash-type memory, such as a solid-state drive (SSD) or thelike. Memory 203 may store program instructions that, upon execution byprocessor 201 and/or controller(s) 204, present a UI interface to a userof IHS 100.

Chipset 202 may further provide access to one or more hard disk and/orsolid-state drives 207. In certain embodiments, chipset 202 may alsoprovide access to one or more optical drives or other removable-mediadrives. In certain embodiments, chipset 202 may also provide access toone or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports 208.

Upon booting of IHS 100, processor(s) 201 may utilize Basic Input/OutputSystem (BIOS) 209 instructions to initialize and test hardwarecomponents coupled to IHS 100 and to load an Operating System (OS) foruse by IHS 100. BIOS 209 provides an abstraction layer that allows theOS to interface with certain hardware components that are utilized byIHS 100. Via the hardware abstraction layer provided by BIOS 209,software stored in memory 203 and executed by the processor(s) 201 ofIHS 100 is able to interface with certain I/O devices that are coupledto the IHS 100. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) wasdesigned as a successor to BIOS. As a result, many modern IHSs utilizeUEFI in addition to or instead of a BIOS. As used herein, BIOS isintended to also encompass UEFI.

Chipset 202 may also provide access to one or more user input devices206, for example, using a super I/O controller or the like. Forinstance, chipset 202 may provide access to a keyboard (e.g., keyboard103), mouse, trackpad, stylus, totem, or any other peripheral inputdevice, including touchscreen displays 101 and 102. These input devicesmay interface with chipset 202 through wired connections (e.g., in thecase of touch inputs received via display controller(s) 204) or wirelessconnections (e.g., via communication interfaces(s) 205). In some cases,chipset 202 may be used to interface with user input devices such askeypads, biometric scanning devices, and voice or optical recognitiondevices.

In certain embodiments, chipset 202 may also provide an interface forcommunications with one or more sensors 210. Sensors 210 may be disposedwithin displays 101/102 and/or hinge 104, and may include, but are notlimited to: electric, magnetic, radio, optical, infrared, thermal,force, pressure, acoustic, ultrasonic, proximity, position, deformation,bending, direction, movement, velocity, rotation, and/or accelerationsensor(s).

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of components 300 of keyboard 103. Asdepicted, components 300 include keyboard controller or processor 301,coupled to keyboard sensor(s) 303 and wireless communication module 302.In various embodiments, keyboard controller 301 may be configured todetect keystrokes made by user upon a keyboard matrix, and it maytransmit those keystrokes to IHS 100 via wireless module 302 using asuitable protocol (e.g., BLUETOOTH). Keyboard sensors 303, which mayalso include any of the aforementioned types of sensor(s), may bedisposed under keys and/or around the keyboard's enclosure, to provideinformation regarding the location, arrangement, or status of keyboard103 to IHS 100 via wireless module 302. In other implementations,however, one or more keyboard sensors 303 (e.g., one or more Hall effectsensors, a magnetometer, etc.) may be disposed within first and/orsecond displays 101/102.

In some cases, a magnetic attachment and alignment system(s) may enablekeyboard 103 to be attached to second display 102 (on the displaysurface, or on the back of display 102), and/or to be aligned on/off thesurface of display 102, at predetermined locations. Moreover, displayand/or hinge sensors 210 may be configured to determine which of aplurality of magnetic devices are presently engaged, so that the currentposition of keyboard 103 may be ascertained with respect to IHS 100. Forexample, keyboard 103 may have magnetic devices disposed along its shortsides at selected locations. Moreover, second display 102 may includemagnetic devices at locations that correspond to the keyboard's magneticdevices, and which snap keyboard 103 into any number of predeterminedlocations over the display surface of second display 102 alongside itsshort sides.

In various embodiments, systems and methods for on-screen keyboarddetection may include a “fixed-position via Hall sensors” solutionimplemented as hardware/firmware that reads the multiple Hall sensors'information, calculates where a keyboard is detected, and sends thekeyboard location (fixed positions) information to an OS. Additionally,or alternatively, these systems and methods may include a“variable-position via Hall sensors” solution implemented ashardware/firmware that reads a single Hall sensor's information based onthe variable Gauss value of magnet(s) on keyboard 103.

Additionally, or alternatively, these systems and methods may include a“variable position via magnetometer” solution implemented ashardware/firmware that reads a single magnetometer's information basedthe relative location a single magnet on keyboard 103. Additionally, oralternatively, these systems and methods may include a “variableposition via 3D Hall sensor” solution implemented as hardware/firmwarethat reads a 3D Hall sensor's information based the relative location aprogrammed magnet (different polarities) or array of magnets indifferent orientations on keyboard 103.

In some cases, by using magnetic keyboard detection, instead of relyingupon touch sensors or the digitizer built into display 102, systems andmethods described herein may be made less complex, using less power andfewer compute resources. Moreover, by employing a separate magneticsensing system, IHS 100 may turn off touch in selected areas of display102 such as, for example, in the areas of display 102 covered bykeyboard 103.

In various embodiments, IHS 100 and/or keyboard 103 may not include allof components 200 and/or 300 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.Additionally, or alternatively, IHS 100 and/or keyboard 103 may includecomponents in addition to those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.Additionally, or alternatively, components 200 and/or 300, representedas discrete in FIGS. 2 and 3, may be integrated with other components.For example, all or a portion of the functionality provided bycomponents 200 and/or 300 may be provided as a System-On-Chip (SOC), orthe like.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of multi-form factor configuration engine 401.Particularly, multi-form factor configuration engine 401 may includeelectronic circuits and/or program instructions that, upon execution,cause IHS 100 to perform a number of operation(s) and/or method(s)described herein.

In various implementations, program instructions for executingmulti-form factor configuration engine 401 may be stored in memory 203.For example, engine 401 may include one or more standalone softwareapplications, drivers, libraries, or toolkits, accessible via anApplication Programming Interface (API) or the like. Additionally, oralternatively, multi-form factor configuration engine 401 may beincluded the IHS's OS.

In other embodiments, however, multi-form factor configuration engine401 may be implemented in firmware and/or executed by a co-processor ordedicated controller, such as a Baseband Management Controller (BMC), orthe like.

As illustrated, multi-form factor configuration engine 401 receivesGraphical User Interface (GUI) input or feature 402, and produces GUIoutput or feature 403, in response to receiving and processing one ormore or: display sensor data 406, hinge sensor data 407, and/or keyboardsensor data 408. Additionally, or alternatively, multi-form factorconfiguration engine 401 may produce touch control feature 404 and/orother commands 405.

In various embodiments, GUI input 402 may include one or more images tobe rendered on display(s) 101/102, and/or one or more entire or partialvideo frames. Conversely, GUI output 403 may include one or moremodified images (e.g., different size, color, position on the display,etc.) to be rendered on display(s) 101/102, and/or one or more modifiedentire or partial video frames.

For instance, in response to detecting, via display and/or hinge sensors406/407, that IHS 100 has assumed a laptop posture from a closed or“off” posture, GUI OUT 403 may allow a full-screen desktop image,received as GUI IN 402, to be displayed first display 101 while seconddisplay 102 remains turned off or darkened. Upon receiving keyboardsensor data 408 indicating that keyboard 103 has been positioned oversecond display 102, GUI OUT 403 may produce a ribbon-type display orarea 106 around the edge(s) of keyboard 103, for example, withinteractive and/or touch selectable virtual keys, icons, menu options,pallets, etc. If keyboard sensor data 408 then indicates that keyboard103 has been turned off, for example, GUI OUT 403 may produce an OSK onsecond display 102.

Additionally, or alternatively, touch control feature 404 may beproduced to visually delineate touch input area 107 of second display102, to enable its operation as a user input device, and to therebyprovide an UI interface commensurate with a laptop posture. Touchcontrol feature 404 may turn palm or touch rejection on or off inselected parts of display(s) 101/102. Also, GUI OUT 403 may include avisual outline displayed by second display 102 around touch input area107, such that palm or touch rejection is applied outside of theoutlined area, but the interior of area 107 operates as a virtualtrackpad on second display 102.

Multi-form factor configuration engine 401 may also produce othercommands 405 in response to changes in display posture and/or keyboardstate or arrangement, such as commands to turn displays 101/102 on oroff, enter a selected power mode, charge or monitor a status of anaccessory device (e.g., docked in hinge 104), etc.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of method 500 for configuring multi-form factorIHSs. In various embodiments, method 500 may be performed by multi-formfactor configuration engine 401 under execution of processor 201. Atblock 501, method 500 includes identifying a display posture—that is, arelative physical arrangement between first display 101 and seconddisplay 102. For example, block 501 may use sensor data received fromdisplays 101/102 and/or hinge 104 to distinguish among the variouspostures shown below.

At block 502, method 500 selects a UI feature corresponding to theidentified posture. Examples of UI features include, but are not limitedto: turning a display on or off; displaying a full or partial screenGUI; displaying a ribbon area; providing a virtual trackpad area;altering touch control or palm rejection settings; adjusting thebrightness and contrast of a display; selecting a mode, volume, and/oror directionality of audio reproduction; etc.

At block 503, method 500 may detect the status of keyboard 103. Forexample, block 503 may determine that keyboard 103 is on or off, restingbetween two closed displays, horizontally sitting atop display(s)101/102, or next to display(s) 101/102. Additionally, or alternatively,block 503 may determine the location or position of keyboard 103relative to display 102, for example, using Cartesian coordinates.Additionally, or alternatively, block 503 may determine an angle betweenkeyboard 103 and displays 101/102 (e.g., a straight angle if display 102is horizontal, or a right angle if display 102 is vertical).

Then, at block 504, method 500 may modify the UI feature in response tothe status of keyboard 103. For instance, block 504 may cause a displayto turn on or off, it may change the size or position of a full orpartial screen GUI or a ribbon area, it may change the size or locationof a trackpad area with changes to control or palm rejection settings,etc. Additionally, or alternatively, block 504 may produce a newinterface feature or remove an existing feature, associated with adisplay posture, in response to any aspect of the keyboard statusmeeting a selected threshold of falling within a defined range ofvalues.

FIGS. 6A-C, 7A-J, 8A-D, and 9A-F illustrate examples of various displaypostures which may be detected by operation of block 501 of method 500during execution of multi-form factor configuration engine 401 by IHS100. In some implementations, different ranges of hinge angles may bemapped to different IHS postures as follows: closed posture (0 to 5degrees), laptop or book posture (5 to 175 degrees), canvas posture (175to 185 degrees), tent or stand posture (185 to 355 degrees), and/ortablet posture (355 to 360 degrees).

Particularly, FIGS. 6A-C show a laptop posture, where a first displaysurface of first display 101 is facing the user at an obtuse angle withrespect to a second display surface of second display 102, and such thatsecond display 102 is disposed in a horizontal position, with the seconddisplay surface facing up. In FIG. 6A, state 601 shows a user operatingIHS 100 with a stylus or touch on second display 102. In FIG. 6B, state602 shows IHS 100 with keyboard 103 positioned off the bottom edge orlong side of second display 102, and in FIG. 6C, state 603 shows theuser operating keyboard 103 atop second display 102.

FIGS. 7A-J show a tablet posture, where first display 101 is at astraight angle with respect to second display 102, such that first andsecond displays 101 and 102 are disposed in a horizontal position, withthe first and second display surfaces facing up. Specifically, FIG. 7Ashows state 701 where IHS 100 is in a side-by-side, portrait orientationwithout keyboard 103, FIG. 7B shows state 702 where keyboard 103 isbeing used off the bottom edges or short sides of display(s) 101/102,and FIG. 7C shows state 703 where keyboard 103 is located over bothdisplays 101 and 102. In FIG. 7D, state 704 shows IHS 100 in aside-by-side, landscape configuration without keyboard 103, in FIG. 7Estate 705 shows keyboard 103 being used off the bottom edge or long sideof second display 102, and in FIG. 7F state 706 shows keyboard 103 ontop of second display 102.

In FIG. 7G, state 707 shows first display 101 rotated around seconddisplay 102 via hinge 104 such that the display surface of seconddisplay 102 is horizontally facing down, and first display 101 restsback-to-back against second display 102, without keyboard 103; and inFIG. 7H, state 708 shows the same configuration, but with keyboard 103placed off the bottom or long edge of display 102. In FIGS. 71 and 7J,states 709 and 710 correspond to states 707 and 708, respectively, butwith IHS 100 in a portrait orientation.

FIG. 8A-D show a book posture, similar to the tablet posture of FIGS.7A-J, but such that neither one of displays 101 or 102 is horizontallyheld by the user and/or such that the angle between the display surfacesof the first and second displays 101 and 102 is other than a straightangle. In FIG. 8A, state 801 shows dual-screen use in portraitorientation, in FIG. 8B state 802 shows dual-screen use in landscapeorientation, in FIG. 8C state 803 shows single-screen use in landscapeorientation, and in FIG. 8D state 804 shows single-screen use inportrait orientation.

FIGS. 9A-F show a display posture, where first display 100 is at anacute angle with respect to second display 102, and/or where bothdisplays are vertically arranged in a portrait orientation.Particularly, in FIG. 9A state 901 shows a first display surface offirst display 102 facing the user and the second display surface ofsecond display 102 horizontally facing down in a stand configuration(“stand”), whereas in FIG. 9B state 902 shows the same standconfiguration but with keyboard 103 used off the bottom edge or longside of display 101. In FIG. 9C, state 903 shows a display posture wheredisplay 102 props up display 101 in a tent configuration (“tent”), andin FIG. 9D, state 904 shows the same tent configuration but withkeyboard 103 used off the bottom edge or long side of display 101. InFIG. 9E, state 905 shows both displays 101 and 102 resting vertically orat display angle (“dual-display mode”), and in FIG. 9F state 906 showsthe same configuration but with keyboard 103 used off the bottom edge orlong side of display 101.

It should be noted that the aforementioned postures, and their variousrespective keyboard states, are described for sake of illustration. Indifferent embodiments, however, other postures and keyboard states maybe used, for example, depending upon the type of hinge coupling thedisplays, the number of displays used, or other accessories. Forinstance, when IHS 100 is chargeable via a charging or docking station,the connector in the docking station may be configured to hold IHS 100at angle selected to facility one of the foregoing postures (e.g.,keyboard states 905 and 906).

FIGS. 10A-C illustrate a first example use-case of method 500 in thecontext of a laptop posture. In state 1000A of FIG. 10A, first display101 shows primary display area 1001, keyboard 103 sits atop seconddisplay 102, and second display 102 provides UI features such as firstribbon area 1002 (positioned between the top long edge of keyboard 103and hinge 104) and touch area 1003 (positioned below keyboard 103). Askeyboard 103 moves up or down on the surface of display 102, ribbon area1002 and/or touch area 1003 may dynamically move up or down, or becomebigger or smaller, on second display 102. In some cases, when keyboard103 is removed, a virtual OSK may be rendered (e.g., at that samelocation) on the display surface of display 102.

In state 1000B of FIG. 10B, in response to execution of method 500 bymulti-form factor configuration engine 401, first display 101 continuesto show main display area 1001, but keyboard 103 has been moved off ofdisplay 102. In response, second display 102 now shows secondary displayarea 1004 and also second ribbon area 1005. In some cases, second ribbonarea 1005 may include the same UI features (e.g., icons, etc.) as alsoshown in area 1002, but here repositioned to a different location ofdisplay 102 nearest the long edge of keyboard 103. Alternatively, thecontent of second ribbon area 1005 may be different from the content offirst ribbon area 1002.

In state 1000C of FIG. 100, during execution of method 500 by multi-formfactor configuration engine 401, IHS 100 detects that physical keyboard103 has been removed (e.g., out of wireless range) or turned off (e.g.,low battery), and in response display 102 produces a different secondarydisplay area 1006 (e.g., smaller than 1004), as well as OSK 1007.

FIGS. 11A-C illustrate a second example use-case of method 500 in thecontext of a tablet posture. In state 1100A of FIG. 11A, second display102 has its display surface facing up, and is disposed back-to-back withrespect to second display 102, as in states 709/710, but with keyboard103 sitting atop second display 102. In this state, display 102 providesUI features such primary display area 1101 and first ribbon area 1102,positioned as shown. As keyboard 103 is repositioned up or down on thesurface of display 102, display area 1101, first ribbon area 1102,and/or touch area 1103 may also be moved up or down, or made bigger orsmaller, by multi-form factor configuration engine 401.

In state 1100B of FIG. 11B, keyboard 103 is detected off of the surfaceof display 102. In response, first display 101 shows modified maindisplay area 1103 and modified ribbon area 1104. In some cases, modifiedribbon area 1104 may include the same UI features as area 1102, but hererepositioned to a different location of display 102 nearest the longedge of keyboard 103. Alternatively, the content of second ribbon area1104 may be different from the content of first ribbon area 1102. Insome cases, the content and size of modified ribbon area 1104 may beselected in response to a distance between keyboard 103 and display 102.

In state 1100C of FIG. 11C, during continued execution of method 500,multi-form factor configuration engine 401 detects that physicalkeyboard 103 has been removed or turned off, and in response display 102produces yet another display area 1105 (e.g., larger than 1003 or 1002),this time without an OSK.

In various embodiments, the different UI behaviors discussed in theaforementioned use-cases may be set, at least in part, by policy and/orprofile, and stored in a preferences database for each user. In thismanner, UI features and modifications of blocks 502 and 504, such aswhether touch input area 1003 is produced in state 1000A (and/or itssize and position on displays 101/102), or such as whether ribbon area1102 is produced in state 1100A (and/or its size and position ondisplays 101/102), may be configurable by a user.

FIGS. 12A-D illustrate a 360-hinge implementation, usable as hinge 104in IHS 100, in four different configurations 1200A-D, respectively.Particularly, 360-hinge 104 may include a plastic, acrylic, polyamide,polycarbonate, elastic, and/or rubber coupling, with one or moreinternal support, spring, and/or friction mechanisms that enable a userto rotate displays 101 and 102 with respect to one another, around theaxis of 360-hinge 104.

Hinge configuration 1200A of FIG. 12A may be referred to as a closedposture, where at least a portion of a first display surface of thefirst display 101 is disposed against at least a portion of a seconddisplay surface of the second display 102, such that the space betweendisplays 101/102 accommodates keyboard 103. When display 101 is againstdisplay 102, stylus or accessory 108 may be slotted into keyboard 103.In some cases, stylus 108 may have a diameter larger than the height ofkeyboard 103, so that 360-hinge 104 wraps around a portion of thecircumference of stylus 108 and therefore holds keyboard 103 in placebetween displays 101/102.

Hinge configuration 1200B of FIG. 12B shows a laptop posture betweendisplays 101/102. In this case, 360-hinge 104 holds first display 101up, at an obtuse angle with respect to first display 101. Meanwhile,hinge configuration 1200C of FIG. 12C shows a tablet, book, or displayposture (depending upon the resting angle and/or movement of IHS 100),with 360-hinge 104 holding first and second displays 101/102 at astraight angle (180°) with respect to each other. And hingeconfiguration 1200D of FIG. 12D shows a tablet or book configuration,with 360-hinge 104 holding first and second displays 101 and 102 at a360° angle, with their display surfaces in facing opposite directions.

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate a jaws hinge implementation, usable ashinge 104 in IHS 100, in two different configurations 1300A and 1300B.Specifically, jaws hinge 104 has two rotation axes, parallel to eachother, one axis for each respective one of displays 101/102. A solid barelement 104 between the two rotation axes may be configured toaccommodate docking compartment 1301 for stylus 108, audio speaker(s)1302 (e.g., monaural, stereo, a directional array), and one or moreports 1303 (e.g., an audio in/out jack).

Hinge configuration 1300A of FIG. 13A shows the laptop posture. In thiscase, jaws hinge 104 holds first display 101 up, at an obtuse angle withrespect to second display 102. In contrast, hinge configuration 1300B ofFIG. 13B shows a tablet or book posture, with jaws hinge 104 holdingfirst and second displays 101 and 102 at a 360° angle with respect toeach other, with keyboard 103 stored in between displays 101 and 102, ina back-to-back configuration, such that stylus 108 remains accessible tothe user.

FIG. 14 illustrates accessory charging system 1400, with accessory wells1301 and 1401 shown on hinge 104 that couples first display 101 tosecond display 102. In various embodiments, accessory wells 1301 and1401 may be formed of molded or extruded plastic. In this example,accessory well 1301 is shaped to hold pen or stylus 108, and accessorywell 1401 is shaped to hold earbud 109. In some implementations, wells1301 and/or 1401 may include electrical terminals for charging a batterywithin the accessory, and/or to check a status of the accessory (e.g.,presence, charge level, model or name, etc.).

FIG. 15 illustrates a watchband hinge implementation, usable as hinge104 in IHS 100, in configuration 1500. Specifically, watchband hinge 104comprises a plurality of metal cylinders or rods, with axes parallel toeach other, held together by bracket 1503 and/or fabric 1501. Inoperation, bracket 1503 may include notches and/or detents configured tohold cylinders 1502 at predetermined positions corresponding to anyavailable IHS posture.

FIGS. 16A-C illustrate a gear hinge implementation, usable as hinge 104in IHS 100, in configurations 1600A-C. Specifically, configuration 1600Aof FIG. 16A shows gear hinge 104 with bar 1603 having teeth or gears1604 fabricated thereon, as IHS 100 begins to assume a laptop posture.Display 101 has teeth or gears 1601 alongside its bottom edge, whereasdisplay 102 has teeth or gears 1602 alongside its top edge. Bracket(s)1605 hold gears 1601 and/or 1602 against gear 1604, therefore providestwo parallel rotation axes between displays 101 and 102.

Hinge configuration 1600B of FIG. 16B shows a closed posture. In thiscase, gear hinge 104 holds display 101 facing down, and display 102 isrotated 360° degrees with respect to display 101, so that its displaysurface faces up against display 101. In this configuration, keyboard103 may sit under display 102, for example, to cause display 102 to restat an angle when IHS 100 is placed in laptop posture. In some cases,keyboard 103 may be coupled to the back of display 102 using anaccessory backpack or the like, as shown in FIG. 19.

Hinge configuration 1600C of FIG. 16C shows a tablet or book posture. Inthis case, gear hinge 104 holds display 102 facing up, and display 101is rotated 360° degrees with respect to display 102, so that its displaysurface faces down against the horizontal plane. In this configuration,keyboard 103 rests between the back of display 101 and the back ofdisplay 102. In various embodiments, bar 1603 may be split into aplurality of segments or links, as shown in configurations 1600B and1600C, to provide additional axes of rotation between displays 101 and102, and to accommodate both keyboard options with different IHSthicknesses.

FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a slide hinge implementation, usable ashinge 104 in IHS 100, in various configurations. Specifically, in FIG.17A, link 1701, held by first display bracket 1702 coupled to display101, slides up and down slot 1704 of bracket 1703 coupled to display102. In some cases, a locking mechanism may be employed to stably holddisplays 101 and 102 in different postures, as link 1701 slides up anddown and/or as display 101 rotates around display 102, such as theclosed posture of configuration 1700A, the laptop posture ofconfiguration 1700B in FIG. 17B, the tablet posture of configuration1700C (back to FIG. 17A), or the book posture of configuration 1700D(also in FIG. 17A).

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a folio case system in configurations 1800Aand 1800B, according to some embodiments. Specifically, folio case 1801may include a set of hard foldable sections or flaps wrapped in fabricand/or plastic, with snapping magnetic attachment points, for example,around the edge on the back of displays 101 and 102, and/or keyboard103. In some cases, keyboard 103 may be removable from case 1801.Additionally, or alternatively, the presence and state of case 1801 maybe detectable via sensors 303.

In configuration 1800A in FIG. 18A, displays 101 and 102 are in a laptopposture, and folio case 1801 holds keyboard 103 in a fixed position, offthe bottom edge or long side of display 102, such that both displays 101and 102 remain usable. Meanwhile, configuration 1800B of FIG. 18B showsa display posture (e.g., as in state 901), such that the display surfaceof display 102 is facing down against folio case 1802, and folio case1802 holds keyboard 103 in at fixed location, off the bottom edge ofdisplay 101, and such that only display 101 is usable.

FIG. 19 illustrates accessory backpack system 1900. In some embodiments,the enclosure of display 102 may include notches 1903 configured toreceive lip 1902 of tray 1901, which stays snapped in place until pulledby the user. Additionally, or alternatively, a spring-loaded ejectionbutton may be used. In various configurations, tray 1901 may holdkeyboard 103 or battery 110. Moreover, in some cases, the enclosure ofdisplay 102 may include electrical terminals usable to charge and/orobtain sensor information from accessories.

Context-Aware User Interface (UI)

In various embodiments, systems and methods described herein may providea context-aware UI for IHS 100. For instance, GUI objects such as ribbonarea 106 and touch input area 107 may be selected, configured, modified,provided, or excluded based upon the context in which IHS 100 isoperating.

For example, during operation of IHS 100, an application or window mayoccupy a part of a display (“single display window mode”), it may occupyan entire display (“max mode”), it may span across parts of the twodisplays (“dual display window mode”), or it may occupy both entiredisplays (“supermax mode”). Moreover, when in a laptop or tablet posturemode, for instance, a user may place a supported physical keyboard 103,totem (e.g., a DELL TOTEM), or another accessory on the surface ofsecond display 102. Additionally, or alternatively, the user may bringup an OSK on second display 102.

Still during operation of IHS 100, the user may move keyboard 103 todifferent positions on the display surface of second display 102.Additionally, or alternatively, the user may close, open, minimize, ormaximize an application or window. Additionally, or alternatively, theuser may transition IHS 100 between different display postures.Additionally, or alternatively, the user may dock IHS 100 on a dockingsystem or the like, thereby modifying the IHS's docking state (e.g.,dual monitor mode, book mode, or laptop mode).

In response to these, or other events, IHS 100 may select, render,modify, expand, reduce, and/or exclude various UI components or GUIobjects such as: applications, OSKs, touch bars, touchpads, workspaces,taskbars, start menus, etc., in a context-aware manner. Thesecontext-aware operations may be performed, for example, based on dockingstate, active application, touchpad area, physical keyboard placementand area, totem placement (if any), etc.

For instance, in response to changes in docking state, IHS 100 may bringup, hide, or resize an “f-row interface” comprising one or more of: a“system bar,” a “touch bar,” and an “activity bar;” as well as thecontents (e.g., icons, keys, text, colors, images, suggestions,shortcuts, input areas, etc.) of each such bar. Additionally, oralternatively, IHS 100 may bring up, configure, hide, or resize OSKs,touchpad areas, scratch pad areas, or totem menus. Additionally, oralternatively, IHS 100 may reduce or increase desktop or workspace areasthat span two displays, and it may move OS components, such as a taskbarand start menu, across displays 101 and 102.

In an embodiment, a user may manually configure one or more GUIcomponents, elements, or objects (e.g., f-row interface, touchpad, OSK,icons, images, windows, etc.) with a desired size and selected contents,and the user may also choose taskbar/start menu icon locations withposture-dependent, event-specific triggers and behaviors. In anotherembodiment, a software service may a docking state changes, posturechanges, user configuration changes (e.g., user brings up OSK mode),placement of a keyboard, totem placed on display, active application,etc., and it may take automatic responsive actions. In some cases,second display 102 may display touch bar content that is selected basedupon other content displayed on first display 101 (e.g., an activeapplication).

FIGS. 20A and 20B are a flowchart of method 2000 for providing acontext-aware UI. In some embodiments, method 2000 may be performed bymulti-form factor configuration engine 401 under execution of processor201. Particularly, method 2000 starts at block 2001.

At block 2002, method 2000 loads user configuration and/or preferencesfrom saved configuration files 2003. For example, configuration files2003 may be saved in a database and stored in memory storage devices203/207. In various embodiments, configuration files 2003 may containuser and/or application-specific settings that control the behavior ofGUI components such as, for example, touch bar 106 and touchpad 107, inresponse to selected events. For example, configuration files 2003 mayprioritize the rendering of one or more sub-components of touch bar 106(e.g., a system bar, a touch bar, or an activity bar) and/or one or moresub-components of touch input area 107 (e.g., a trackpad and one or morescratchpad areas), according to the user's personal preferences,depending upon the position of keyboard 103 on second display 102 and/orthe docking state of IHS 100.

At block 2004, method 2000 waits for an event to be received from any ofblocks 2005-2009. Specifically, block 2005 indicates when an applicationis open, closed, or resized, and block 2006 indicates when an OSK modeis selected or brought up by an application (also examples of GUI IN 402inputs in FIG. 4). Block 2007 detects and identifies changes in displayposture, for example, using a gyroscope, accelerometer, IMU, hingesensor, etc.; whereas blocks 2008 and 2009 detect the presence,position, and status of keyboard 103, totem, or other accessory,including moving and removal events, for example, using display, hinge,and keyboard sensors (also examples of sensor data 406-408 of FIG. 4).

At block 2010, method 2000 determines a current posture of IHS 100 usingdata from blocks 2005-2009 by comparing the various current states ofdifferent IHS components to the corresponding states expected for eachposture. Block 2011 determines whether: (i) the posture has changed;(ii) OSK mode has been brought up, closed, or changed, or (iii) keyboard103 has been placed, moved, or removed, or (iv) the IHS has been docked,and in which state.

If so, block 2012 may calculate and apply a new workspace or desktoparea by resizing and/or closing applications and windows usingOS-specific (e.g., WINDOWS) API-based graphics (GFX) commands. Block2013 may calculate and apply new ribbon area bars and components, withselected sizes and at predetermined locations, using the API to generatef-row UI commands. Similarly, block 2014 may calculate and apply newtouch input area components such as a touchpad and one or morestrachpad(s), with selected sizes and at predetermined locations, usingthe API to generate touchpad UI commands. In some cases, method 2000 mayalso calculate and apply OS components at block 2015, such as a taskbaror start menu, with selected sizes and at predetermined locations, usingthe API to generate OS configuration commands. After any of blocks2012-2015, control returns to block 2004.

At block 2016, method 2000 determines whether an application has beenopened, moved, minimized, maximized, or super-maximized. If so, block2017 may calculate and resize applications and windows using the API,and control returns to block 2004. At block 2018, method 2000 determineswhether a totem has been placed, removed, or moved, or whether a totemmenu selection event has occurred. If so, block 2019 may send a totemevent notification to the OS and/or it may enable totem controls usingthe API, and then control returns to block 2004. Otherwise, method 2000ends at block 2020.

Docking System

In various embodiments, multi-form factor IHS 100 may be used with adocking system as described herein. Such a docking system may operate asa stand, to mechanically support displays 101 and 102 in differentpostures and orientations, and it may also enable IHS 100 to beconnected and disconnected to and from any of a plurality of powersources (e.g., AC power) and/or peripheral components (e.g., an externalgraphics processor) coupled or built into to the docking system.

FIGS. 21A-C illustrate a docking system in different positions. In FIG.21A, docking system 2100A is shown with base 2101 and plateau 2104coupled to each other via arm(s) 2103 (in this example, two arms areused). Both base 2101 and plateau 2104 may be generally rectangular inshape, and may have a width configured to match the width of a singleone of displays 101/102. Base 2101 sits horizontally on a table or desksurface, and when IHS 100 is docked on docking system 2100A, the backsurface of display 101 and/or the back surface of display 102 is/arecoupled to and rest(s) against the top surface of plateau 2104.

Arm(s) 2103 couple distal edge 2108D of base 2101 (relative to a userstanding in front of docking system 2100) to proximal edge 2108P ofplateau 2104. As such, arm(s) 2103 swivel, hinge, or rotate with respectto base 2101 around a first axis to lift plateau 2104 vertically andaway from the horizontal surface. Arm(s) 2103 also swivel, hinge, orrotate around a second axis to tilt plateau 2104, hence angling displays101/102 towards or away from a user. When retracted into position 2100B,arm(s) 2103 fall into recessed track(s) 2102 of base 2101, such that thebottom surface of plateau 2104 rests against the top surface of base2101.

The top or outer surface of plateau 2104 includes positioning nib 2105with horizontal row of connector terminals 2106H and/or vertical columnof connector terminals 2106V. In some implementations, positioning nib2105 may be generally square in shape, which allows IHS 100 to besupported by docking system 2100 in at least two orientations, 90°rotated with respect to each other.

Horizontal terminals 2106H may be disposed alongside a first side ofsquare nib 2105, and vertical terminals 2106V may be perpendicularthereto. For example, horizontal row of terminals 2106H may provide afirst bus connector (e.g., USB) and vertical column of terminals 2106Vmay provide a different bus connector or a redundant bus connector, in adifferent orientation. In various situations, terminals 2106H-V may beused to implement cooling, data, and/or charging of IHS 100.

Plateau 2104 may also include a generally rectangular magnetic device2107 disposed in a direction perpendicular to proximal edge 2108P ofplateau 2104, and configured to hold displays 101 and/or 102 in placewhen IHS 100 is docked. In some cases, magnetic device 2107 may includea programmed magnet or magnet array that features different North,South, East, and West poles or polarities along its length, whereasdisplays 101 and/or 102 of IHS 100 may include correspondingly disposedmagnets with opposite poles or polarities.

In some cases, as shown dock 2100C of FIG. 21C, plateau 2104 and/or base2101 may further include one or more peripheral devices built therein.For example, device 2108 may include a cooling fan and/or graphicsprocessor 2108 coupled to terminals 2106H-V. Upon docking of IHS 100onto plateau 2104, IHS 100 may be configured to identify the currentdocking state and to access or communicate with device 2108 viaterminals 2106H and/or 2106V.

FIGS. 22A and 22B illustrate examples of docking and undocking methods,and FIGS. 23A-C show the resulting docking states. Particularly,configuration 2200A of FIG. 22A shows IHS 100 docked onto plateau 2104in a dual monitor docking state, such as when IHS 100 is in posture 701in FIG. 7A, or posture 905 of FIG. 9E.

In the docking process of FIG. 22A, a user may first place IHS 100 indual monitor posture, with displays 101/102 open 180° and in a portraitorientation. The user may then align the back of second display 102against positioning nib 2105. For example, the back of second display102 may include a protrusion or detent 2202 configured to match theshape of positioning nib 2105, and configured to align IHS 100, inresponse to IHS 100 being positioned against the top surface of plateau2104. In some cases, protrusion or detent 2202 may be male andpositioning nib 2105 may be female, or vice-versa.

First display 101 may include magnetic device 2201 (with oppositepolarity as magnetic device 2107 of plateau 2104) configured such that,when detent 2202 is aligned with nib 2105, magnetic device 2107 snaps orholds IHS 100 in place against plateau 2104 (in this case, magneticdevice 2203 within second display 102 is not engaged).

As a result of the process of FIG. 22A, FIG. 23A shows IHS 100 anddocking system 2100 in dual-display docking mode 2300A and FIG. 23Bshows book docking mode 2300B. Arm 2103 may be actuated to hold plateau2104 in a dual-display docking state 2300A by extending arm 2013 toincrease the angle between plateau 2104 and the horizontal surface.Conversely, arm 2103 may be retracted all the way down to a book dockingstate 2300B by decreasing the angle between plateau 2104 and thehorizontal surface.

In some cases, arm 2103 may have friction couplings configured to holdIHS 100 in any intermediate angle or position. The lateral edges ofdisplays 101/102 may rest against the horizontal surface as arm 2103swivels up and down. In some cases, base 2101 may be wedge shaped, withthe height near its distal edge greater than the height near itsproximal edge, in order to provide a natural display angle to the userin book docking mode 2300B.

As part of the docking process of FIG. 22B, a user may first place IHS100 in laptop posture. The user may then align the back of seconddisplay 102 against positioning nib 2105. Again, the back of seconddisplay 102 may include detent 2202 configured to mate with nib 2105,and to align IHS 100 in response to it being positioned against the stopsurface of plateau 2104. Second display 102 may also include magneticdevice 2203 (with opposite polarity as magnetic device 2107) configuredsuch that, when detent 2202 is aligned with nib 2105, magnetic device2203 snaps or holds IHS 100 in place (in this case, magnetic device 2201within first display 101 is not engaged).

As a result of the process of FIG. 22B, FIG. 23C shows IHS 100 anddocking system 2100 in laptop docking mode 2300C. In some cases, arm2103 may be actuated to hold plateau 2104 at a fixed distance from base2101, for example, in order to provide leave a gap between plateau 2104and base 2201 that is usable for cooling IHS 100.

It should be understood that various operations described herein may beimplemented in software executed by logic or processing circuitry,hardware, or a combination thereof. The order in which each operation ofa given method is performed may be changed, and various operations maybe added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. It is intendedthat the invention(s) described herein embrace all such modificationsand changes and, accordingly, the above description should be regardedin an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although the invention(s) is/are described herein with reference tospecific embodiments, various modifications and changes can be madewithout departing from the scope of the present invention(s), as setforth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figuresare to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense,and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scopeof the present invention(s). Any benefits, advantages, or solutions toproblems that are described herein with regard to specific embodimentsare not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeature or element of any or all the claims.

Unless stated otherwise, terms such as “first” and “second” are used toarbitrarily distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus,these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or otherprioritization of such elements. The terms “coupled” or “operablycoupled” are defined as connected, although not necessarily directly,and not necessarily mechanically. The terms “a” and “an” are defined asone or more unless stated otherwise. The terms “comprise” (and any formof comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any formof have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form ofinclude, such as “includes” and “including”) and “contain” (and any formof contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linkingverbs. As a result, a system, device, or apparatus that “comprises,”“has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more elements possesses those oneor more elements but is not limited to possessing only those one or moreelements. Similarly, a method or process that “comprises,” “has,”“includes” or “contains” one or more operations possesses those one ormore operations but is not limited to possessing only those one or moreoperations.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A dock, comprising: a base; a plateauconfigured to receive an Information Handling System (IHS), wherein theplateau comprises a positioning nib; a first row of terminals disposedin parallel with respect to a proximal edge of the plateau alongside agiven edge of the positioning nib; a second row of terminals disposedperpendicularly with respect to the first row of terminals alongsideanother side of the positioning nib; and an arm coupling a distal edgeof the base to the proximal edge of the plateau, wherein the arm rotateswith respect to the base around a first axis to lift the plateau,wherein the plateau rotates with respect to the arm around a second axisto tilt the plateau, and wherein the second axis is parallel withrespect to the first axis.
 2. The dock of claim 1, wherein the plateaufurther comprises a magnetic device.
 3. The dock of claim 2, wherein themagnetic device is positioned in the plateau in a directionperpendicular to the proximal edge of the plateau.
 4. The dock of claim1, wherein the IHS further comprises a first display coupled to a seconddisplay via a hinge.
 5. The dock of claim 4, wherein the second displaycomprises a second magnetic device positioned to mate with the magneticdevice and a second positioning nib positioned to mate with thepositioning nib in the plateau when the plateau receives the IHS inlaptop mode.
 6. The dock of claim 5, wherein the first display comprisesa third magnetic device positioned to mate with the magnetic device inthe plateau when the plateau receives the IHS in dual-display mode in aportrait orientation.
 7. The dock of claim 1, wherein the base furthercomprises a graphical processor configured to the coupled to the IHS inresponse to the IHS being received by the plateau.
 8. The dock of claim1, wherein the IHS further comprises: a processor; and a memory coupledto the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereonthat, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: identify adocking state of the IHS.
 9. The dock of claim 8, wherein the programinstructions, upon execution by the processor, further cause the IHS to,based on the identification, produce a corresponding User Interface (UI)feature on the first or second displays.
 10. The dock of claim 8,wherein the docking state is selected from the group consisting of: dualmonitor mode, book mode, and laptop mode.
 11. A method, comprising:coupling an Information Handling System (IHS) to a plateau of a dock,wherein a proximal edge of the plateau is coupled to a distal edge of abase via an arm, wherein the arm rotates with respect to the base arounda first axis to lift the IHS, wherein the plateau rotates with respectto the arm around a second axis to tilt the IHS, and wherein the plateaucomprises a magnetic device and a positioning nib; collapsing the arminto the base to enter a book mode; and extending the arm away from thebase to enter a dual monitor mode, wherein the IHS comprises a firstdisplay coupled to a second display via a hinge, wherein the seconddisplay comprises a second magnetic device positioned to mate with themagnetic device and a second positioning nib positioned to mate with thepositioning nib when the IHS is in laptop mode.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein the first display comprises a third magnetic devicepositioned to mate with the magnetic device when the IHS is indual-display mode.
 13. A hardware memory device having programinstructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor of anInformation Handling System (IHS), cause the IHS to: identify a state ofthe IHS relative to a dock, wherein the dock comprises: a base; aplateau configured to receive the IHS; and an arm coupling a distal edgeof the base to a proximal edge of the plateau, wherein the arm rotateswith respect to the base around a first axis to lift the plateau,wherein the plateau rotates with respect to the arm around a second axisto tilt the plateau, wherein the second axis is parallel with respect tothe first axis, and wherein the plateau comprises a magnetic device anda positioning nib; a first row of terminals disposed in parallel withrespect to the proximal edge of the plateau alongside a given edge ofthe positioning nib; a second row of terminals disposed perpendicularlywith respect to the first row of terminals alongside another side of thepositioning nib; and based on the identification, enable a connectorbetween the plateau and the IHS.
 14. The hardware memory device of claim13, wherein the IHS further comprises a first display coupled to asecond display via a hinge, and wherein the second display comprises asecond magnetic device positioned to mate with the magnetic device and asecond positioning nib positioned to mate with the positioning nib whenthe IHS is in laptop mode.
 15. The hardware memory device of claim 14,wherein the first display comprises a third magnetic device positionedto mate with the magnetic device when the IHS is in dual-display mode.